[Publib] cataloguueing music cds

[King, Jamie]

I think the simpler arrangement is probably best for the average public library.  Having a Bach/Mozart/Copeland compilation in Classical would be good enough for most.  Of course, the larger your collection, the likelier you'll find more specificity useful.

Shelving a CD presents the same kinds of problems as shelving a book.  Is it SciFi or Fantasy?  What if it's a compilation of both?  Ultimately, you have to pick one place and put it there, and use the catalog to help with the nuances.  The catalog can get you to everything (or most) by Ry Cooder, just as it would to the short stories, novels, and essays of Mark Twain that are also likely shelved in different places.

Jamie King
Cataloger
jamie.king at flr.follett.com
1340 Ridgeview Drive
McHenry, IL 60050

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Steve Benson wrote:

The simplest arrangement is just by performer/composer name in broad categories (pop, jazz, classical, opera, etc.), ignoring the different genres.  However this would be a hindrance to most folks who favor a particular type of music.  What about classical music?  Compilation CDs are very common.  Where do you put a CD that contains pieces by Bach, Mozart, and Copeland that makes sense to anyone?

... The same difficulty exists in stores that commonly utilize labels such as rock, pop, jazz, world music, etc.  Think you can walk in and easily find everything by say, Ry Cooder?